SCARECROWS, trombones, dancers and firefighters will fill the streets and fields of Elton as the village puts on a ‘royal celebration to remember’.

To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, villagers from across Ince and Thornton-le-Moors are preparing to wrap themselves in Union Jacks and flock to the village to take part in a parade and party until the sun goes down.

The celebration on June 2 comes after almost six months of careful planning by a specially formed community group, the Elton Village Fête Committee, made up of 12 residents who have worked solidly to create an event which ‘will bring the whole of the community together’.

Pensioners and babies, teenagers and parents are expected to line the streets as a brass band leads a giant parade along School Lane to the community centre, where two local children will be crowned the Jubilee king and queen, officially starting the special celebrations.

Vicki Serna, who sits on the committee, said she hopes the celebrations will become an annual event, which will trigger many more ‘much needed’ community get-togethers.

“We are trying to get everyone involved in one way or another,” said Vicki, who said the ‘community spirit’ in the village had depleted since the community centre fell into a state of disrepair.

“This year the event is just Elton with people coming from the surrounding villages, but from now on we want to make this gathering an annual thing and call it something like the Three Villages Fête.”

The committee has raised more than £2,000 toward the celebrations, with Essar donating £1,000 and Shell £400 toward the live music event, which will see local musicians and bands entertain until the early morning.

But Vicki says that despite the generosity of local businesses, councillors and community groups volunteers are still needed to get stuck-in and make the day a ‘celebration to remember’.

Vicki, who revealed there will be a royal-themed scarecrow festival in the coming months to get people in the party mood, said: “This is the first time in about 18 years that we have done something like this in Elton.

“We are trying to unite the community and connect groups and clubs and create community spirit in the village. But we still need a lot of help with marshalling and setting up the fête on the day.”

The celebrations, which will start with a parade at 10.30am and finish with an evening of music and dancing, will see:

The crowning of local schoolchildren as the Jubilee king and queen (ages nine-13) and flower girls and page Boys (aged four-nine).